Lusitanosaurus

Lusitanosaurus (meaning "Portuguese lizard") is a genus of basal thyreophoran dinosaur from the Early Jurassic of Portugal.

The genus was first described by Albert-Félix de Lapparent and Georges Zbyszewski in 1957.^[1] The type species is Lusitanosaurus liasicus. The generic name is derived from Lusitania, the ancient Latin name for the region. The specific name refers to the Lias.

The holotype is part of the collection of the Museu de História Natural da Universidade de Lisboa. The exact location of the find and the date of collection are unknown, which makes a correct geological dating difficult, but it can be inferred from the matrix rock that it has been discovered near São Pedro de Moel, in strata from the Sinemurian (Early Jurassic). This would make it the oldest known dinosaur from Portugal. The fossil consists of a single partial left maxilla, an upper jaw bone, with seven teeth.

Originally assigned to the Stegosauria by de Lapparent, Lusitanosaurus is today considered a basal member of the Thyreophora, perhaps belonging to the Scelidosauridae. Some authors consider it a nomen dubium.

Notes

References

• Antunes, M.T. & Mateus, O. (2003). Dinosaurs of Portugal. C. R. Palevol, 2: 77-95.
• Lusitanosaurus in the Paleobiology Database

Thyreophora
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Clade: Dinosauria Order: Ornithischia
Major clades Stegosauria Ankylosauridae Nodosauridae
Basal thyreophorans Thyreophora Emausaurus Scutellosaurus Tatisaurus Thyreophoroidea Scelidosauridae Bienosaurus Lusitanosaurus Scelidosaurus Eurypoda Stegosauria Ankylosauria Ankylosauridae Nodosauridae
Stegosauria Basal stegosaurs Gigantspinosaurus Huayangosauridae Chungkingosaurus Huayangosaurus Regnosaurus Stegosauridae Chialingosaurus Jiangjunosaurus Kentrosaurus Loricatosaurus Tuojiangosaurus Dacentrurinae Dacentrurus Miragaia Stegosaurinae Alcovasaurus Hesperosaurus Lexovisaurus Paranthodon Stegosaurus Wuerhosaurus Yingshanosaurus
Ankylosauridae Ankylosauridae Aletopelta Cedarpelta Gobisaurus Liaoningosaurus Minmi Shamosaurus Ankylosaurinae Ahshislepelta Crichtonpelta Minotaurasaurus Oohkotokia Pinacosaurus Tarchia Tsagantegia Saichania Shanxia Zaraapelta Zhongyuansaurus Ankylosaurini Ankylosaurus Anodontosaurus Euoplocephalus Dyoplosaurus Nodocephalosaurus Talarurus Scolosaurus Ziapelta
Nodosauridae Nodosauridae Acanthopholis Animantarx Antarctopelta Edmontonia Denversaurus Glyptodontopelta Hylaeosaurus Mymoorapelta Niobrarasaurus Nodosaurus Panoplosaurus Pawpawsaurus Peloroplites Propanoplosaurus Sauropelta Silvisaurus Stegopelta Tatankacephalus Texasetes Zhejiangosaurus Polacanthinae Gargoyleosaurus Gastonia Hoplitosaurus Polacanthus Struthiosaurinae Anoplosaurus Europelta Hungarosaurus Struthiosaurus
Related categories Ornithischians Stegosaurs Ankylosaurs